Nutcracker



W. H. BAGBY.

NUTCRAGKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1919.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. BAGBY, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

NUTCRACKER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 18, 1919.

Application filed May 29,1919. Serial N 0. 300,531.

make and use the same.

' provide a simple and readily operated'nut cracker which will be efficient in service, and can be manipulated by unskilled operators who would ordinarily have charge of this kind ofwork. 1

My invention will be more fully understood after reference to the accompanying drawings,in which like parts are indicated by similar reference symbols throughout'the severalviews; and in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the apparatus mounted on a supporting bowl, the bowl being shown 1n section, and the nut cracker being shown in the open position.

Fig.- 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1, except -that the nut cracker is shown in-central vertical section, and in the closed position.

Fig. 3 1s a detall showing the main frame to which =the-several movable" parts are athandle.

handle; Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the adjusttached. I I

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fixed Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the pivoted able jaw member.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the movablejaw member.

Fig. 8 is a plan view ofthebowl adapted to be used with the device; and

-Fig. 9 shows the device as applied to a.

shelf or table without'the bowl.

A represents the main frame which may 1 be madeof a single casting, having the side brackets a, the stem a, the flanged base a the boltholes a the cut-away portion a,

provided with'a grip piece 7), and the arm 6 adapted to fit between the brackets a and adapted to be ecured thereto by bolts passing through the'holes 6 This arm I) is provided with a catch 6 with a hole 72* for the pivot pin C, and with a hole 6 for the stem of the movable jaw member F.

D represents the swinging gripping member which is provided with a handle all and with a slot d between the side walls d, and with the holes d to engage the pivot pin C. The members B and D are preferably hollowed out and rounded as shown at b and d respectively. My present invention relates to nnprovements 1n nut crackers, and 1t -1s lntended to E represents the adjustable jaw member which is provided with an arm 6 having the roughened engaging face "6 surrounding the recess 0. The other arm 6 of this member E is provided with rack teeth 6 and with a handle 6 The part e of the member E is preferably thickened somewhat so as to prevent the member E from being accidentally pushed entirely out of the machine.

The sliding jaw member F is provided with a head f, roughened as at f, and recessed as at f". Opposite the head 7 the member F is provided with a T-shaped heel 7, having the web 7 projecting between the side walls at of the member D.

G represents a coil spring fitting over the neck f of the member F and tending to automatically restore the nut cracker to the open position as shown in Figs. 1 and 9.

H represents a suitable bowl which may be made of wood or metal, preferably of wood, and forms a support for the nut cracker and-also a receptacle in which the "broken nuts may be allowed to fall after being cracked. This bowl is shown as provided with an annular chamber h surrounding the central boss 72., which is perforated as at h to permit the insertion of the fastening screw I, and said perforation h" is enlarged as at h to mask the head of the screw I when the nut cracker is secured on the bowl, and thus the screw will not tend to scratch the surface of the table or other platform on which the device is mounted.

WVhile I prefer to mount the nut cracker on a bowl as shown, whereby the device may be transported from place to place and used cracker may be secured to the clamp M in any convenient way, as by means of the screw bolt I. V

The same nut cracker may be used either with the bowl H or with the clamp M, but in the latter construction a shorter screw bolt is used.

The rack teeth a on the arm a of the adjustable jaw member E are so arranged, when the parts are assembled, that they will normally slide freely beneath the catch 6 but when the arm 6 is tilted somewhat, as happens when slight pressure is applied to the arm a, as in inserting a nut, one of these teeth will engage the catch 5 thus holding the jaw member E as the sliding jaw member F is moved toward the nut being cracked.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The adjustable jaw member E is slid in the frame A until the distance between the jaws is approximately the diameter of the nut to be cracked.

Then, or at the same time, insert the nut and with the grip of one hand press the swinginggripping member D toward the fixed gripping member B, cracking the nut.

When the nut has been sufficiently cracked, if the swinging member D be released the cracked nut will fall into the bowl I H; or into any suitable receptacle, not

twith a stem passing through said fixed gripplng member, with a spring normally restorshown, on the table or shelf to which the nut cracker may be secured.

It will be obvious that various m0difications might be made in the herein described device, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of; parts which could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention; and I do not mean to limit the invention to such details except as particularly pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of'the United States is y 1. In a nut cracker, the combination with a frame provided with a base adapted to be secured to a suitable support, of an adjustable jaw member provided with an upwardly projecting arm adapted to engage the nut, and with a horizontal arm provided with rack teeth on its upper edge, a fixed gripping member secured to said frame and provided with an upwardly projecting handle, and with a catch adapted to engage said rack teeth, a swinging gripping inember, and a sliding jaw member engaging said swinging gripping member and provided ing the parts to the initial position, substan tially as described.

2. In a nut cracker, the combination with a frame provided with a base adapted to be secured to a suitable support, an adjustable jaw member provided with an upwardly projecting arm adapted to engage the nut, and with a horizontal arm provided with rack teeth on its upper edge, a fixed gripping member secured to said frame and provided with an upwardly projectmg handle, and with a catch adapted to engage said rack teeth, and with a horizontal arm, a second gripping member pivoted to said horizontal arm and also provided with a handle, and a sliding aw member engaging sald pivoted gripping member and provided with a stem passing through said fixed gripping member, with a coil spring mounted on said stem and normally restoring the parts to the initial position, substantially as described.

3. In a nut cracker, the combination with a frame provided with a base adapted to be secured to a suitable support, said frame being provided with side brackets, of an ad-.

justable jaw member slidably mounted between said brackets and provided with an upwardly projecting arm adapted to engage the nut, and with a horizontal arm provided with rack teeth on its upper edge, a fixed gripping member secured to said frame and provided with an upwardly projecting handle, and with a catch adapted to engage said rack teeth, a swinging gripping member, and a sliding jaw member engaging said swinging gripping member and provided with a stem passing through said fixed gripping member, with a coil spring mounted on said stem and normally restoring the parts to the initial position, substantially as described.

t. In a nut cracker, the combination with a frame provided with a base adapted to be secured to a suitable support, said frame being provided with side brackets, of an adjustable jaw member slidably mounted between said brackets and provided with an upwardly projecting arm adapted to engage the nut, and with a horizontal arm provided with rack teeth on its upper edge, a fixed gripping member secured to said frame and provided with an upwardly projecting handle, and with a catch adapted to engage said rack teeth, a swinging gripping member, and a sliding jaw member engaging said swinging gripping member and provided with a stem passing through said fixed gripping member, and a spring for normally restoring the movable parts to the initial position, substantially as described.

In a nut cracker, the combination with a frame provided witha base adapted to be secured to a suitable support, said frame being provided with side brackets, of an adjustable jaw member slidably mounted be tween said brackets and provided with an upwardly projecting arm adapted to engage the nut, and with a horizontal arm provided with rack teeth on its upper edge, a fixed gripping member secured to said frame and provlded wlth an upwardly pro ecting handle, and with a catch adapted to engage said rack teeth, and with a horizontal arm also mounted between said brackets, a second gripping member pivoted to said horizontal arm and also provided with a handle, and a sliding aw member engaging said pivoted gripping member and provided with a stem passing through said fixed gripping member, with a coil spring mounted on said stem and normally restoring the parts to the initial position, substantially as described.

6. In a nut cracker, the combination with a frame provided with a base adapted to be secured to a suit-able support, said frame being provided with side brackets, of an ad justable jaw member slidably mounted between said brackets and provided with an upwardly projecting arm adapted to engage the nut, and with a horizontal arm provided with rack teeth on its upper edge, a fixed gripping member secured to said frame and provided with an upwardly projecting handle, and with a catch adapted to engage said rack teeth, and with a horizontal arm also mounted between said brackets, a second gripping member pivoted to said horizontal arm and also provided with a handle, and a sliding jaw member engaging said pivoted gripping member and provided with a stem passing through said fixed gripping member, and a spring for normally restoring the movable parts to the initial position, substantnlly as described.

7. The combination with a bowl, of a nut cracker provided with a frame connected to said bowl, and self-spreading vertical handles for operating said nut cracker connected to said frame, substantially as and for the purposes described.

- WILLIAM H. BAGBY. 

